Business and otheractivities remained crippled on Wednesday in the Kashmir valley, where peopleare protesting since August 5 against scrapping of Article 370 and 35 A,besides dividing the state into Union Territories.

Shops and business establishments, which werefunctioning daily for about three hours in the morning in Srinagar, includinghistoric Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, remained closed forthe second consecutive day on Wednesday, when a delegation of Members ofEuropean Parliament (MEP) is on a two day visit to Kashmir from Tuesday.

The Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs)remained deployed to prevent people from gathering at historic Jamia Masjid inthe down town. All main gates of the worship place are closed for devotees andCPMF remained deployed in the Jamia market and outside to prevent people fromassembling there. No prayers could be allowed in the Masjid, stronghold ofchairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq sinceAugust 5. 

Train service between Baramulla in north Kashmirto Banihal in Jammu region remained suspended since August 5 for securityreasons.  The internet service andpre-paid mobile network of all Cellular companies, including Bharat SancharNigam Limited (BSNL), remained suspended since August 5 as a precautionarymeasure in the valley, badly affecting professionals, students, doctors andmedia persons.

 Businessand other activities remained paralysed and traffic off the roads on Wednesdaysince August 5 in the summer capital, Srinagar and outskirts. Shops andbusiness establishments which were functioning for about three hours from 0700hrs till 1000 hrs daily remained closed following visit of EU MPs toKashmir. 

Passenger traffic, including the buses of StateRoad Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses, remained off the roads. Very lessnumber of private vehicles, as compared to previous days, were also seen plyingon different routes, particularly in the uptown and civil lines. However, inthe down town very few private vehicles were seen plying.

 Securityforces burst teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse stonepelting demonstrators have blocked at over a dozen places in different parts ofthe city.

Shops and business establishments remainedclosed in this and other district and tehsil headquarters of south Kashmir, areport from Anantnag said. Very less number of private vehicles were seenplying on the roads as passenger traffic remained off the roads.

A complete shut down also continued in southKashmir district of Kulgam, where five West Bengal residents were killed byunidentified gunmen on Tuesday night. The deceased were working as labourersthere for the past some time.

Additional CPMFs remained deployed to preventany stone pelting on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, passing through southKashmir districts.

A report from Baramulla said that business andother activities remained crippled since August 5 in this and other northKashmir districts. Traffic was off the roads though some vehicles were seenplying on Srinagar-Uri highway. Additional security forces have been deployedon bridges, connecting down town with civil lines in Baramulla and Sopore townsto foil any demonstration.

Similar reports were also received from centralKashmir districts of Ganderbal and Badgam.